It is the goal of this project to continue our studies in the area of protein and peptide synthesis and function. Our focus of interest in the past year was two-fold. Firstly, we examined the mechanism for initiation of the synthesis of chicken ovalbumin and found evidence that the protein was initiated by methionine. Secondly, we studied the nature of metabolism of thyrotropin releasing hormone. We found that hamster hypothalamic extracts contain two different enzymes that act on thyrotropin releasing hormone. One enzyme is a pyroglutamyl peptidase and the other enzyme is an amidase. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Prasad, C. and Peterkofsky,A.: Initiation of Ovalbumin Synthesis in Chicken Oviduct Magnum: Transient Labelling of the NH2-terminus by Methionine. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 175: 730-736, 1976. Prasad, C, and Peterofsky, A.: Demonstration of Pyroglutamyl-peptidase and amidase activities toward thyrotropin-releasing hormone in hamster hypothalamus extract. J. Biol.Chem.251: 3229-3234, 1976.